D Day 80th

[Tashyboy]

We will remember them.

Respect to all who served and are serving.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Was a delight to see the badges, berets and other military memorabilia arriving at Chelsea Barracks today.

To those who survived and those who didn’t, thank you.

 

[patricks148]

I lived just outside Caen for two years, used to head to these beaches quite regularly. i was there when they had the 50th anniversary

 

[IanM]

An amazing generation.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

 

[rudebhoy]

I've been watching the series on BBC2 where they found some old tapes of interviews with guys who landed on the beaches, and got actors to lip-sync them. Harrowing stuff. I'd always associated the term cannon fodder with WW1, but that's what the guys in the first wave on D-Day were.

 

[3offTheTee]

I was going to The Golf Club just before 10 am today. On Radio 5 the band was playing "I vow to thee my Country" followed by some veterans saying what had happened to them including one who had been shot in the chest and the next day his fellow troops were killed.

I was touched and had a 'frog in my throat' and felt a tear in my eye. could not help myself and so proud.

We will remember them.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Remembering my Dad today, in 1944 he would have been all of 21 and had spent his war in merchant ships ploughing the Bay of Biscay through the Med into the Red Sea. Dodging Wolf Packs and seeing some ships failing and going down, it would have been rather scary for a lad from the Hebrides even though there was a strong sea-going tradition on his island.

What these young men and women of the 1940s did for us we must never let be forgotten or become complacent about.

 

[4LEX]

Amazing men the like of which we'll never see again.

Remembering those who gave their lives and also the ones that survived and had a lifetime of nightmares and flashbacks.

Thank you doesn't seem enough.

 

[Red devil]

We moan our lot, we criticise our country and its government. We speak our mind and within reason say what we want. We can because more than 80yrs ago people without a second thought answered the call. The call to preserve our freedom, the world's freedom.
Things aren't great for a lot of people at the moment but it could have been a whole lot worse but for the heroism beyond comprehension of the whole of the Allied forces who gave everything and I mean everything, may they rest in peace, so we can have what we have today.
They should never be forgotten for because of them we owe them everything.

 

[Tashyboy]

So this morning the local RBL Branch in line with a national event was a flag raising ceremony at 9.00am. This was followed my our two oldest members judging a children’s medal colouring comp. The old guys loved it. Len, our president was 88 last month. His best mate was killed in Cyprus with a Bren gun stolen from the British army during an ambush in the Troodos mountains.
He fought in Korea and says “ I shouldn’t be here today”. He did the last ever combat Parachute regiment jump in Egypt. He is lovely.
At 12.00 we went to a local pub for a meal and entertainment by three young ladies singing 40’s Vera Lynn type songs. Len loved having a natter with the girls. More importantly they loved his company. “ Ave got to make the best of every day Tash” he said. “ Ave not got many left you know”.
To spend five minutes in the presence of gentlemen like Len is quality time spent indeed.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

My Scots Dad met my Welsh Mum when training for D Day on the Gower peninsular.
Sobering thought..... if not for D Day I would not be here.
He went in on the second day with the 51st Highland Div [Black Watch]